“I think I am very proud of the way I’ve played and I think I’ve played well enough to make a
case for myself to be a starter in the league and I know I’m a starter in the league,” he said. “
Every goalkeeper is going to make mistakes. You learn from them and I think as long as this
coaching staff has confidence in me – and I know they do – I know that they’ll be fine if they have
to have me back there. I hope I’m making a case for myself and if not then I’ll be accepting of
whatever role I have and learn in whatever situation I’m in.”

It’s a viewpoint mentor Jon Busch has worked to instill in the 23-year-old Lampson, who can be
ultra-critical of himself. The two met when Busch trained Lampson when the latter was just 11 years
old and began a professional relationship during the winter prior to Lampson’s rookie season.

Now in his 17th year as a professional, Busch said that viewpoint hardly makes Lampson unique
among goalkeepers.

“We’ve talked about that quite a bit,” Busch said. “Pretty much every goalkeeper that you’re
going to talk to is a perfectionist. We’re picky individuals as goalkeepers, but I think that’s
what sets goalkeepers apart from other athletes is that we’re never satisfied.”

The goal, Busch said, is to minimize mistakes over the long term.

“He’s going to learn to deal with making mistakes and how you learn and deal with them,” he
said. “We’ve talked a few times in the last two weeks and the couple issues in those games that he’s
had. As I explained to him, every goalkeeper at every level makes mistakes. The best ones make the
least amount of mistakes over a season. That’s where we’re trying to get Matt.”

“You see goalkeepers this week made some big mistakes and in a career, especially a long one
like a young goalkeeper like me is going to have, we’re going to make mistakes,” he said. “I made a
big one at Kansas City. Chad (Marshall) and I had a big miscommunication this past game, but that’s
the sport. Good teams will punish you for the mistakes, but I take those mistakes in stride. When I
make mistakes, those things aren’t going to happen again.”

Busch said Lampson is setting himself up for a prolific Major League Soccer career.

“Matt has loads of possibilities,” he said. “I think he’s got the world in front of him in terms
of the MLS and playing in the MLS for a long time. I think he has a very positive future ahead of
him as a goalkeeper. The biggest thing Matt needs to do is not look at the big picture and look at
the long-term. He just needs to focus on each day getting better and the rest of it will sort
itself out.

“If at the end of the season Matt becomes the No. 1 then that’s great, but in the short term it’s
just making sure Matt develops as a goalkeeper each and every day.”

Gruenebaum has been working to regain strength in that left shoulder, and Bliss said the veteran
goalkeeper has been making progress. He hopped into a few drills late in training when Daniel
Withrow was momentarily shaken up.

Defender Josh Williams, meanwhile, was running on the side of the field yesterday and kicking a
ball back and forth as the Crew scrimmaged on its home field. Williams suffered a concussion when
he was struck in the head with a ball in the final moments of practice Sept. 3. He has missed three
games with the injury and is not expected to be available for Saturday’s home game against
Chicago.

Meanwhile, midfielder/defender Danny O’Rourke watched yesterday’s training session from the
sidelines and looks unlikely to be available for selection against the Fire.